View report page

59
Council and the sanitary authorities of the several duties in connection with bakehouses upon which
the Council had adopted a resolution on June 26th. The following report was presented by the
Committee to the Council on July 17th, and the recommendations embodied in it were adopted by the
Council.
On the 26th of June last the Council, after consideration of our report upon the subject of London
bakehouses, passed the following resolution—
That the Council, while concurring in the view that regulations governing the position,
structure, and internal arrangement of bakehouses should be made by the Council for the whole of
London, is of opinion that the licensing and supervision of bakehouses and the duty of enforcing
the Council's regulations should rest upon the local sanitary authorities (the Council having power
to act in their default as under sec. 100 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891), and accordingly
refers the matter back to the Committee with instructions to communicate with the President of
the Local Government Board and to ask him to propose an amendment of the law for the purpose.
We have again carefully considered the question, and we think with the Council that it would be
well for the supervision of bakehouses and the enforcement of the regulations to rest upon the local
sanitary authorities; but we are still strongly of opinion that the Council should be the licensing
authority, as well as the authority to make regulations. We cannot consider that it would be at all
satisfactory for the licensing of bakehouses in London to be in the hands of forty or more different
authorities, as under such an arrangement it would be well nigh impossible to secure uniformity of
administration. Before therefore communicating with the Local Government Board we have decided
to bring the matter again before the Council, and to ask it to vary its resolution so as to provide for
the licensing or registration of bakehouses to be in the hands of the Council and not the local sanitary
authorities. We recommend—
That the Council's resolution of the 26th of June last, so far as relates to the licensing of bakehouses,
be rescinded, and that the Council do express the opinion that the licensing or registration
of bakehouses should rest upon the Council and not the local sanitary authorities.
On 22nd May the Local Government Board issued to London sanitary authorities a circular
letter drawing attention to the powers and duties of these authorities in relation to bakehouses, and
expressing the hope that they would give such instruction to their officers as would ensure the
systematic inspection of bakehouses, and that the sanitary authorities would cause to be instituted
such proceedings a3 might be necessary for a due enforcement of the law.
A conference of vestries and district boards was convened by the Vestry of St. George-theMartyr,
Southwark, and held on October loth, 1894, to consider certain proposed amendments of the
law regulating bakehouses.
The following resolutions were adopted—
That the present state of the law relating to bakehouses requires amendment by the addition of the
following clauses to the Public Health (London) Act, 1891—
(а) That uniform metropolitan by-laws regulating bakehouses be made by the London County
Council, and be confirmed by the Local Government Board, and that the duty of enforcing these
by-laws shall devolve upon the various local sanitary authorities.
(b) That the portions of the by-laws regulating the structure of bakehouses do not apply to
existing bakeries.
(c) That the London County Council be empowered to frame by-laws for the construction of
underground bakehouses, and that all bakehouses erected after the passing of such by-laws shall
conform thereto.
The work done in connection with bakehouse inspection is referred to in the annual reports of
the medical officers of health of the following districts—
Paddington.—The bakehouses (73 in number) were inspected twice during the year.
Kensington.—Bakehouses (136 in number) were regularly inspected, and action taken when
necessary.
Hammersmith.—The whole of the bakehouses (63 in number) were under a regular quarterly
inspection; in six instances notices were served.
Fulham.—The bakehouses (76 in number) were regularly inspected and found in satisfactory
condition.
St. George, Hanover-square.—There are 56 bakehouses on the register, of which 51 are in
use; the condition of some of them has been improved as the result of notices which have been
served.
Westminster.—Bakehouses form the subject of a special report, giving details of the condition,
ascertained as the result of a complete inspection.
St. James, Westminster.—The bakehouses (27 in number) were under regular inspection;
proceedings were instituted in one instance.
Marylebone.—There were 108 bakehouses in the district, to which 388 visits were made.
Hampstead.—The bakehouses (41 in number) were regularly inspected.
St. Pancras.—The number of bakehouses in the district was 211, of which 193 were occupied;
these were inspected half-yearly. A list is given of all the bakehouses, showing whether the floor is
above or below the ground level, and to what extent it is above or below.
Islington.—The number of visits paid to bakehouses was 441. Their state may be described as
fairly good, considering the difficulties encountered in ventilating those underground. All were put
into a cleanly condition during the year.
Stoke Newington.—There are 14 bakehouses, all of which were inspected; in 13 instances
notices were served to cleanse, limewhite, and repair sanitary defects.
Hackney.—The number of bakehouses was 125, all of which were personally inspected by the
medical officer of health; 42 are described as structurally bad, being partly or wholly underground.
In 44 drain inlets were found, soil pipes were found passing through 8, more ventilation was required
in 15, and 36 required cleaning.
St. Giles.—There were 29 bakehouses in the district, of which 24 were underground and 5 on
the ground level; all were periodically inspected, and where necessary, orders made for their
improvement.